Revive, reflect and remember at the Royal BC Museum in November

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Red poppies, bare trees, damp streets and cold winds: November’s a sombre month, just ripe for ruminating on important ideas and historical events. Come in from the cold to participate in these thought-provoking events at the Royal BC Museum—and remember admission is always discounted for military personnel and veterans:

  • Pause to reflect on the history and legacy of BC’s involvement in global war zones with these Remembrance Day-themed activities:
     
  • On Nov. 14, from 5:30-7 pm, Happy Hour explores life On the Home Front with all its ration cards, Victory gardens and women in trousers. In Old Town; $10 per person; snacks and drinks available for purchase. This is a 19+ event; valid photo ID required for entry. But you don’t have to leave the kids behind! The new Parallel Play Childminding program is available for this event: $15/per child, ages 3-10.
     
  • Join author Michael Sasges at the launch of Once Well Beloved: Remembering a British Columbia Great War Sacrifice, featuring the stories of 12 BC soldiers who died in WW1. Nov. 7, 7-8 pm in the Newcombe Conference Hall; admission by donation.
     
  • On Nov. 9 from 11 am to noon, human history collections manager and military historian Paul Ferguson leads Fieldtrippers: Walking Victoria’s Great War, a tour of downtown streets and buildings, with commentary about the city’s many connections to WW1. Meet near the base of the Carillon. By donation.
     
  • Provincial carillonneur Rosemary Laing will perform a recital of remembrance beginning at 11:45 am, following the Remembrance Day Ceremonies at the Provincial Legislature. From 12:30-2:30 pm, there will be special performances and presentations in Clifford Carl Hall to honour the service and sacrifice of Canada’s veterans and to honour the fallen; free.
     
  • The fascinating feature exhibition, Maya: The Great Jaguar Rises closes on Dec. 31, 2019. With just a few weeks left to explore the mysteries of Maya culture, be sure to treat the family to an all-ages immersive Wonder Sunday: Maya 2.0 workshop from 1-3 pm, November 3, 10, 17 and 24 in the Natural History gallery. Included with admission or membership.
     
  • And for grown-ups, the Distinguished Lecture Series on Nov. 27 will feature Tulane University’s Dr. Marcello Canuto, who led a team of archaeologists to new discoveries at the Maya site of La Corona in Guatemala in 2018. His talk, An Isolated Stop on the Road of Power: La Corona, the Snake Kings and Altar 5, presents new evidence for how a powerful kingdom known as the Kaanul dynasty began. The talk will be followed with a visit to the Maya exhibition. Newcombe Hall; 7-10 pm; $15 for Royal BC Museum members; $40 for non-members.
     
  • The popular community discussion series, It’s Complicated, tackles the ultimate existential topic this month: death. Traditions and ceremonies around death continue to evolve—how have they changed and what’s coming next? Nov. 20, 5:15-7 pm in Newcombe Conference Hall; free. (Parallel Play Childminding is available for this event. $15/per child, ages 3-10.)
     
  • There’s a new kid in museum town and she’s called Big Play: a fun and friendly Saturday morning workshop series especially for the littlest learners. There are two workshops each morning on Nov. 16, 23 and 30, at 9 am (for ages 3-5) and 10 am (for ages 6-8). The series introduces small (and frequently adorable) animals through hand-on activities and adventures within the galleries. $25 per session; $60 for the three-week series.
     
  • Kids will also enjoy meeting “Buster”—the new dinosaur discovered in Northern BC by Victoria Arbour, Curator of Paleontology. He’s the focus of the Helijet-sponsored Pocket Gallery (in Clifford Carl Hall) until Feb. 26, 2020. The exhibition follows Dr. Arbour’s quest to unearth the mysteries of a small plant-eating relative of the Triceratops that was first discovered by accident in 1971 near the Sustut River, north of Smithers in BC. Not only is Buster one of the first dinosaurs found in BC– he’s one of the most complete skeletons ever unearthed here. Free.

For up-to-date event information, visit our online calendar and museum blog.